FFVII: World Peace at Heart
by EPSIL0N
Summary: PostAC After the defeat of Kadaj and his brothers, life slowly returns to normal. Finally, the battletorn world is rewarded with peace. Yet with friends still around for support, two childhood friends develop special, new bonds. R&R Off. Finished
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Final Fantasy VII and all its characters, locations, weapons, etc. are all under the rights of SquareEnix. The following story is completely fictional and in no way in conciliation with SquareEnix.

**

* * *

Prologue:**

"_Please stay quietly in my memories…"_

"_I will not become a mere memory…"_

…

"_Mother?"_

…

"_Welcome back."_

It was just twenty-four hours after the defeat of Sephiroth and the elimination of the crippling Geostigma. Again, the twenty-three year old Cloud Strife stood in deep thought by the old buster sword on the edge of the cliff on the edge of the Midgar Plains. Aerith and Zack: Two faces he recalled seeing beside the doors of the Sector 5 Church in Midgar. Two close friends lost on the fields of the battles that have now ended.

"I'll still live for your share," he murmured to the spirits of his old comrades. "And I'm not alone," he whispered into the air.

Cloud stood up and realized it was about time he returned to Edge, where his friends must be waiting after the previous day's exhilaration. He was glad that his left arm was not pulsing with pain anymore from the terrible disease. Cloud shifted the position of the old buster sword back into a vertical position and mounted Fenrir and accelerated back home.

_Home,_ Cloud thought, _Since when did I call Seventh Heaven home?_

He had no real family. He's never had a family ever since he left Nibelheim approximately a decade ago. But he's had friends that, in a way, substituted as a family. Sensitive thoughts sifted through Cloud's mind. His muscles relaxed as he pushed down on the pedals of his bike and sped back to Edge.


	2. Life Resumes

**Chapter 01:**

The entire bar of Seventh Heaven was crammed with people from all over Midgar and Tifa Lockhart was busier than she has ever imagined.

"And I thought life was supposed to be a bit easier," she quietly joked.

"Tifa, do you normally have so many customers?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa looked to the left of her and saw the young woman diligently scrubbing dishes and piling up bowls, plates, and trays. Yuffie, along with the others of the old AVALANCHE, decided to drift around Midgar for a few days, aiding the restoration of the city. However, Tifa greatly appreciated the fact that Yuffie decided to stay to assist in the bar, especially this day, the first day of tranquility. Other than that, Tifa appreciated the company. When little Marlene and Denzel stay over at Barret's or run off to join the other neighboring children, Tifa virtually had no one to talk to, except…

"Cloud."

"What about Cloud, Tifa?" Yuffie inquired.

"Huh? Wait, what did I say? I-I mean… never mind," stuttered Tifa, "It's nothing."

Yuffie put on her innocent face, begging for more information, only to see Tifa return back to the kitchen to do her normal tasks. Out of curiosity, Yuffie casually strolled over and put a hand on Tifa's bare shoulder.

"Uh huh, nothing?" Yuffie asked, "Let's go, Tifa, out with it!"

"Really, Yuffie, do you think I would hide anything from you?" Tifa said with a smirk, "Come on, you know me better than that."

"I don't know everything! I―"

A calm, rumbling of something that sounded like a motorcycle or motorbike outside drew both Tifa and Yuffie's attention to the front door. Yuffie put up a hand, indicating to Tifa that she will check it out. Tifa already knew who came by, so she merely smiled and nodded.

Cloud shoved the keys into his pocket, leapt off Fenrir, and made his way to the front door of Seventh Heaven. He already had his hand on the doorknob when he heard quick, light footsteps from inside the bar. Cloud pulled open the door only to have Yuffie run straight into his chest and bounce off, resulting in her sitting on the floor in a daze. Cloud raised his eyebrow and offered a hand.

"Hey, you," Yuffie said in a singsong voice, "Are you planning on standing by the door or are you goin' to help poor Tifa out in the kitchen?"

"Hmm, yeah, good idea. There seems to be a surplus of customers today…" Cloud noted as he ambled to the kitchen.

Tifa was still wiping down the counters, while at the same time fixing meals for the customers, fixing beverages, and busily chatting on the phone with Marlene by the time Cloud made his way into the kitchen. He was never surprised to see how well Tifa managed everything, even when the odds were against her. When Tifa finished talking on the phone and continued her work, Cloud slowly walked over towards her. He stopped. Tifa wasn't smiling as much and she seemed to be completely oblivious to everything else around her.

_What's happening? She's usually the first one to greet me when I return._

"Well? Aren't you goin' to say anything to her?" Yuffie whispered behind Cloud.

Cloud had no emotion on his face. Nonetheless, he unplanted his feet and walked over next to where Tifa was standing and leaned by the wall.

"Hey, Cloud," Tifa said in a soft voice, "Where were you all day?"

_It's only three in the afternoon. And she's worried again,_ Cloud thought to himself. "By the plains… thinking," he said after a moment.

"Oh. About what?" Tifa asked further, and also sliding Cloud's favorite drink over.

He picked up the small cup, their fingers just hardly grazing over each other. Cloud never was a great talker. He preferred action to words. Then again, when it comes to Tifa and her concern, Cloud had no choice but to talk. "I was thinking about life."

"Life?" Tifa put the last of the drinks by the counter waiting for the customers to pick them up, "Life?" she repeated.

"Yeah, life. I realized that my life isn't as torturous as I once thought it was. I realized… that I'm not alone," he confessed.

"Of course you're not."

Tifa wiped off her hands and turned to face him, "Whatever made you think that you were alone to begin with?" She caught a sight of a fleeting figure behind Cloud. "Yuffie, I know you're back there."

Yuffie peeked out from behind Cloud's back, made a pouting face, and strolled back to the sinks. Tifa grinned at how entertaining Yuffie can be sometimes.

"So, come on, Cloud. What made you think you were alone?" Tifa asked again.

Cloud sighed. He didn't feel like talking about his past―again. "We can talk about this some other time. I guess, when there's less people around." Tifa looked straight into Cloud's blue eyes when he said this.

Yuffie looked over and babbled, "And whatever do you mean by that! Hey, hey, must I remind you that I'm not just 'people!' Clooouuud! Come _on_!"

Again, Tifa grinned from Yuffie's spontaneous eruptions. Cloud had a sign of a grin too, but he didn't show it as obviously as Tifa did. _Such a spunky young woman,_ she mentally remarked.

Cloud turned his attention to Tifa again. "And Tifa, there are other things we should talk about, too." _What am I trying to pull here?_

Tifa mouth opened in question, but no words came out. _What does he mean? Talk about what?_ She closed her mouth and just nodded, for what reason, she doesn't know; she couldn't help it. Cloud nodded too and left the kitchen and headed for his room.

"Huh?" Yuffie was confused, "What's going on, Tifa?"

Tifa thought for a moment before saying anything. "It's all right, don't worry about it, Yuffie. Really, it's nothing," she said, although she doesn't understand what's actually going on herself. Yuffie gave up and dropped the matter.

"So, what are you up to tonight?"

"Hmm," Tifa wondered, incredibly relieved for a subject change, "I was hoping you had some ideas."

"I have just the idea. That is, if you're not busy tonight."

"Thank you," Tifa said as a customer paid his bill. She turned back to Yuffie, "I should be free tonight. The bar closes around nine today, but I can close it down a bit earlier if I need to."

"Awesome!" Yuffie exclaimed as she scampered out the front door, "Then I'll be back here later tonight!"

Tifa had never been so confused in her life.

Meanwhile, Cloud was in his room, looking around. Everything was organized and spotless. Evidently, Tifa was maintaining his room even though he rarely even set foot in there. Unbeknownst to him, the thought made him smile on reflex. Cloud took off his exterior armor and sat down on the bed he hadn't slept in for days or even weeks. The Strife Delivery Service was a great success, but it took a great deal of time out of his life.

_Denzel, Marlene… Tifa._

They always had to wait for his return. They had to fend for themselves. They missed him. He could see it in the children's eyes.

_And Tifa._

_That wonderful brunette._ She was the one woman that was always concerned about his well-being, the one woman that had always helped him pull through the most hazardous of conflicts, the one woman that he seemed to ignore the most. Unable to hold back, Cloud dove into his past once again…

_It was seven weeks after Tifa fell into a coma. Those seven weeks were probably the most distressful of his young life. He fought numerous kids, mostly older ones that were thuggish "friends" of Tifa's. He was blamed for Tifa's nearly fatal fall in Nibel Mountain._

_"If only I was stronger, I could've saved Tifa. If I wasn't so weak!" he said once before. Regardless, and miraculously, Tifa woke after being in a coma for seven weeks. Even with the town celebrating Tifa's astounding revival, his antisocial personality forbade him to participate. Besides, he feared the anger of the others._

_Still, Tifa snuck away and visited him. Since that day, their small friendship grew and strengthened…_

_Then, at the age of fourteen, when he decided to join the ranks of SOLDIER, he made his promise to Tifa. She said, "Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous, and I'm ever in a bind… you come save me, all right?" To this, he agreed. "Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to experience that once..."_

_And yet, I almost lost her… more than once._ Once by Sephiroth's sword, Masamune, in the Mako Reactor of Nibelheim and once at the hands of Loz, of the late Kadaj's gang. Cloud felt an odd sensation when he recalled those facts. He started to feel repentant of the neglect he displayed to Tifa multiple times. Although he was never too affectionate, Cloud insisted it would be his duty to now fulfill his promise to his childhood friend. _I will not see her life on the edge again. I will take care of her,_ he swore to himself and he felt a tear spatter onto his hand. Never had he cried, but even to his surprise, Cloud could not suppress his innermost feelings.

Blinking hard just once, Cloud got back up from his bed and strolled over to his desk, also polished and dust-free. He glanced over and found two treasured photos: one of all of AVALANCHE and one of just him with Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel. He picked up the photo of him, Tifa, and the kids and gazed into the depths for what may seem like hours, since by the time he released himself from the photo, the sky had a mixed color of red and purple. The sun was setting.

Cloud checked his clock… seven-twenty.


	3. Something More

**Chapter 02:**

"Cloud…?"

It was a voice he was comfortable hearing. Tifa.

"Yeah," he answered without turning, "Closing early today?"

"Mhmm. Yuffie should be coming by later. She has something planned to do tonight, do you want to tag along?"

"I don't know." _What the hell is wrong with you, Cloud? Show some enthusiasm for a change._ "I mean… let's wait until Yuffie gets here then."

Tifa put her hands to her waist and paused. A deafening silence shrouded the room for a few minutes. Only the breeze through the window could be heard. Tifa dropped her hands and slowly approached Cloud's motionless form. "What's wrong?"

_Still concerned._

"Cloud?"

_What do you want me to say?_

"Cloud…?" A tone of worry blanketed Tifa's voice.

Cloud stood up and turned to the window. "The past. It still sneaks up on me sometimes."

Tifa eyes widened, _I thought he got over all this. He already told me he dragged these issues on for too long it already wore down…_

"Tifa?" It was Cloud's turn.

Tifa's eyes were focusing on the floor. "Is it Aerith?" she asked without looking up.

"No," Cloud said with as much truth in his tone as possible, "No, not this time. I forgave myself over her already."

Tifa didn't actually believe those words completely, but she accepted and looked up. Cloud's eyes still glowed with Mako energy, giving his intent look a slight radiance. "Then what is it?" she asked.

_I don't know how to say it, but I think I am asking for _your_ forgiveness this time. To forgive me for my long, painful absences, my negligence, and my ignorance._ "…I don't know how to describe my thoughts." _You're stupid, Cloud. You know what to say._

"Cloud… what are your thoughts?" Tifa moved closer to him, now only roughly a foot away, "We learned to trust each other over the years," she added. She was about to say _and how we learned to love each other,_ but instead restated it as, "And we learned how to care for one another."

With those words, Cloud turned towards the window again and he took a deep breath. Another memory of his past resurrected, the times when they were young and Tifa would sit by his side, her eyes saturated with worry and empathy. Here he was again, with Tifa behind him still displaying her never-ending apprehension. He felt a hand on his shoulder. A tingling sensation extended through his entire body. He was used to Tifa's hand on his arm or shoulder every once in a while, but this new touch was different.

Tifa felt Cloud's quick jolt, so she removed her hand from Cloud's shoulder.

"Sorry," he said, "for everything."

Now Tifa stared straight at Cloud's back. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she whispered, "For what, Cloud?"

"For causing you pain. I can see it in your eyes." Cloud's back was still facing Tifa. He wouldn't move. "Not just for you, Tifa, but for Marlene and Denzel, too. Do you recall how they begged me to stay? I didn't before, but now I realize, my place is here."

_My place is here,_ those four words rang through Tifa's mind slower and louder than any other words she's ever heard. _His place is here. Cloud's place is here._ Had her prayers finally been answered? It was a bit too good to be true. Too good, that Tifa decided not to question any further.

"I don't need you to apologize. As you clearly demonstrated, you are capable of forgiving yourself," she said sweetly with a smile, "Plus, you're here aren't you. You're here to stay." How she loved saying those words: _You're here to stay._

Cloud finally turned around. _Something is still missing. I haven't said anything remotely close to what I wanted to say. What is it…?_ He searched hard through Tifa's large red-brown eyes for an answer. The two of them stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before Tifa blinked and realized what they were both searching for.

Eight o' clock at night. In the dim-lighted room, the two figures loomed. Cloud and Tifa still had their eyes locked onto each other, searching. Tifa's sudden blink made Cloud comprehend something. Cloud's silent response also triggered an understanding for Tifa…

"_Do you love me?" Tifa asked._

_Cloud was still asleep, but he woke up with a dazed looked on his face._

_Tifa changed the subject, "Hey, Cloud. Do you love Marlene?"_

Cloud was asleep back then, it was only approximately a week ago, but he heard _something_ and it wasn't about Marlene. Tifa asked a different question. He just couldn't recall was it was that she asked. Now he was in thought again, which Tifa easily noticed. She moved closer and leaned on the wall right beside Cloud, still looking into his eyes. A novel connection seemed to be forming…

"Are we a family, Cloud?" she asked carefully. Every time she asked this, Cloud never seemed to have a response. He never had any signs of emotion on his face when she asked him similar questions.

Cloud shifted his footing and accidentally stepped on Tifa's right foot.

"Sorry!"

Tifa winced, but she didn't care at the moment. "It's okay. But, Cloud?"

Cloud looked at her face again, "Yeah."

"Do you think we are a family?"

"…I," Cloud said, "I'm not sure what you mean, Tifa…"

Tifa sighed sadly. _Never mind, I shouldn't be pushing him anyway_. However, Tifa couldn't manage to turn away. Her face was solemn and her arms loose at her sides. _Why does it have to be so hard…?_

"Tifa," Cloud whispered.

"What, Cloud," she said in a barely audible voice.

Cloud paused, unable to form any words, "Nothing."

With that, Tifa stood up straight and headed towards the door. Her mind was in turmoil; she does not understand her situation with Cloud. Yet, before closing the door on her way out, she turned and faced him once again, "I don't know what we must do to become closer." And she shut the door silently.

Cloud could hear the rapid footsteps heading down the stairs. He was devastated. _This is what happens when you don't say what you should say. Stop lying to her._ He lied down and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Tifa was on a couch in the living room. She held her black, fighting gloves that she has grown so comfortable with, like the two accessories were a part of her spirit. Indeed it probably was. _Perhaps we were closer on the battlefield_, she thought while stroking the black leather. Tifa looked around her. Nothing. Just hardwood floor and space. She rose from the couch and put on her gloves. With the fury, she leapt to the ceiling and started to rapidly jab the air. She did aerial dodges, back flips, and high-powered kicks and punches, as if simulating an actual fight. She trembled, as if her blood boiled to a point where she was on the verge of passing out, but she continued. _What more do I have, if not strength?_ Tifa angrily thought to herself. Time seemed to slow down when Tifa noticed two tears, one from each of her eyes, dropped onto the hard floor. "Crying?" she wailed, "Why!" Streams of tears trickled down her face and Tifa pulled her arm back, ready to strike any nearby object.

But she felt a pull on her wrist. She pulled against the force, only to realize she couldn't. She turned around and gazed again into the same blue eyes. Tifa quickly turned away and continued to try and free her arm, but Cloud refused.

"Stop it, Cloud," Tifa said, with a single tear dropping down, splashing onto the floor.

Cloud loosened his hand on Tifa's wrist only a bit. "Then promise me you won't break anything," he said before completely releasing his hold.

Tifa put both her hands to her sides and remained silent and motionless. Except, in a split second, Tifa's tears stopped and she did something that she hasn't done before: She wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist and shoved her face into his chest. Cloud simply looked down with bewilderment. Tifa made a small sniffling noise and said, "This isn't because I just need something to hold, you know."

Cloud didn't know if that comment was supposed to be a joke or not, but he smiled. Tifa looked up and was stunned. _Maybe the tears have wasted my eyes, but that has got to be the most beautiful smile I've seen for quite some time._ Then she did something else that she hasn't done before. Tifa leaned in and soothingly gave that smile a kiss. She disengaged and looked up into Cloud's eyes.

He was a bit taken aback. "Oh…" It was all he managed to say.

"Shh," Tifa said, putting a finger to Cloud's lips, "We're okay."

A knocking sound came through the door and Tifa turned her attention to it. _That must be Yuffie_, she thought as she turned and headed for the door.

Cloud continued to stare at Tifa even after Yuffie's hyperactive self made her way into the bar. His mouth was partly open, which made him seem quite awkward, but he didn't notice it. All he could feel was that tingling feeling that Tifa and he just shared a minute ago. Yuffie's voice then rang in his ears.

"Cloud, what's up with you, coming or not?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa came up to them and glanced at Cloud. Then she turned to Yuffie, "Cloud will call and catch up when he can, right Cloud?" She tossed Cloud a small grin.

Cloud smiled back, _Wow,_ he remarked. "Yeah… uh, you girls have fun. I'm gonna relax a bit here." He was still in a trance-like state.

"Will you excuse us for a moment?" Tifa asked Yuffie, who nodded and skipped back towards the door.

Tifa took one of Cloud's hands and both he and she sat down on the couch, side by side. Cloud looked at Tifa and Tifa returned the attention. The bar was silent, and the two childhood friends just dwelled in each other's presence, doing nothing more than breathing. _Your turn, Cloud_.

Cloud caught Tifa by surprise by taking her hands into his before moving closer to her ear and whispered, "It's always been like this, hasn't it?" He leaned back again. _That felt odd to say, but I said it._

Tifa knew what Cloud meant and smiled. She leaned over and whispered into his ear, "What do you feel?" Tifa poked a finger at his chest, around the area of his heart, "What do you feel there?"

_More questions,_ Cloud noted to himself,_ might as well answer them now when I have the chance._

"I feel what you feel."

Tifa sat back and made a face of question. "Would that―"

"―You figure it out," Cloud cut in. He sighed and said again, "I feel for you, how you feel for me." Cloud smiled and stood up, satisfied with his answer. He reached out his hand, signifying to pull Tifa up. She beamed and reached forward…

Then Cloud did something he never thought he would be capable of doing: he pulled Tifa up to him, face-to-face, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. Tifa felt herself melt and her eyes watering. _I must be on the crying spree today._ Regardless, she placed both her hands on Cloud's neck and returned the kiss, as she longed to do so for quite some time. Cloud hugged her close, seemingly protecting her from all harm.

"Friendly kiss?" Tifa asked silently, gazing up.

"You bet," Cloud replied.

Somewhere, Yuffie let out a soft giggle. She called out at full volume, "Hey! You comin' or not, Tifa?"


	4. Night Out, Night In

**Chapter 03:**

Tifa waved goodbye to Cloud and hurried away to find Yuffie. "So where are we heading, Yuff?" Tifa questioned curiously when she finally found her young friend. She couldn't think of anything else to say. There was only one thing, one person rather, on her mind at the moment.

The two young ladies walked side by side down the streets of Edge, making their way into the heart of Midgar. The once trampled city was now almost fully refurbished, with lights displaying all around and sounds streaming from every direction. Even though AVALANCHE was established in Midgar for quite some time, the newly renovated city still had a profusion of new places available for exploration. After the defeat of Sephiroth and Meteor, and after the defeat of Kadaj and his brothers, along with Sephiroth _again_, the once battle-scarred city finally earned its time of peace.

"Umm… I was thinking of sightseeing! You know, I'm not from around here, so I was thinking maybe you can be my tour guide for a bit," Yuffie suggested, "You know, show me all the cool shops! Ooh! And all the sweet restaurants!" Yuffie already skipped ahead and started looking around for any interesting shops.

"That's a great idea! Let's stay out late tonight. It'll make me feel young again," Tifa responded.

"Young again? Tifa, you're barely past twenty-two! It'll be a _long_ time before you get the right to imply that you're old."

"Well… I guess you're right," Tifa laughed, "I don't know what I was trying to say."

The two friends walked for a few more blocks in calm silence, basking in the nightlights before Tifa suggested stopping by a small coffee shop for a break. "They've got coffee that's fresher and stronger than any I can make in the bar," Tifa said to Yuffie.

"Awesome, definitely keeping myself up tonight." Yuffie eagerly entered the coffee shop with Tifa following right behind her.

It was a small, cozy shop, with just around four other customers sitting by the windows sipping their drinks, reading the papers, or working on their laptops. Tifa headed towards a small table near the back of the shop and settled down while Yuffie ordered their drinks. "Espressos or lattés, Tif?" she called.

"Um, a small latté would be fine, Yuffie, thanks!"

Yuffie paid the clerk and made her way to the table. "Soooo," Yuffie started. Tifa saw a curious look on Yuffie's and at once knew what was coming up. "So Tifa," Yuffie continued with a lop-sided smile, "how are things?"

_Oh boy_, Tifa thought. "Pretty good actually. You didn't miss much," she lied.

"Hmm," Yuffie hummed, "really?"

_Here it comes_. "Yeah, just about. Hey, I don't come out often. Edge is pretty boring if you ask me."

"Really," Yuffie said again, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "Nothing much, huh?"

"Nope," Tifa said with a small smile, "Nothing much here." She quickly added, almost panicky, "So how's everything in Wutai?"

Yuffie put down her latté and crossed her arms. "No, no Tif, what's _really_ goin' on?" She smiled, "Come on, there's gotta be _something_ you wanna say!"

_She knows, I bet_, Tifa groaned mutely, _Oh, goodness._ She decided to play along with Yuffie's little game―maybe stall some time and let Yuffie's short-attention span take over. "Like what 'something,' do you suppose is going on?" Tifa was amused herself; she wanted to see where this conversation would actually head.

Yuffie was beaming, "You know…"

"I know…?"

Still beaming, "You-know-what with you-know-who…"

A little lost in where this conversation was leading to, but Tifa continued to play along. "Just tell me what you're trying to ask, Yuff! Haha, this doesn't have to be so enigmatic!"

"Okay, okay," Yuffie leaned close to Tifa's ear. Tifa could hear Yuffie's little, childish giggles. "So what's up between you and lover-boy Cloud back there?" Yuffie asked in an undertone.

_Duh, of course. I knew it_, Tifa remarked. She sighed and thought, _Might as well tell her. Yuffie wouldn't take stuff like this seriously anyway._

"I was always kind of close to Cloud. Everyone knows we were good friends since we were little kids back in Nibelheim. But now, something's changing…"

"Like you two are seeing each other a bit differently now, right? But not in a bad way. And 'kind of close?' No way, Tif! You two are beyond close!" Yuffie made a silly laugh and carried on, "I saw you guys and your little 'moment' just a while ago."

Tifa groaned and flopped down onto the bench. "That's just great," she rolled her eyes before continuing, "It was only that one time though! I don't expect anything much out of that… anyway, it was just a friendly kiss."

"Yeah, right, friendly kiss, my ass! That was no 'friendly kiss,' if you ask me!" Yuffie made exaggerated kissing sounds and giggled hysterically. Tifa sat up and glared at her.

"Yuffie! How close _were _you when you saw us!"

"I'm a ninja. I can see you, but you can't see me," Yuffie said with a wink.

Tifa groaned and flopped onto the bench again. _This'll be a long night_.

* * *

Back in Seventh Heaven, Cloud looked through old files of his past deliveries. He started to have second thoughts about maintaining the Strife Delivery Service since it took way too much time and was simply not worth it, not even for the relatively high income…

Cloud lifted his head up as he heard voices outside the bar. It was a little late now, almost ten at night. _Now who could that be?_ Cloud thought. He got up from the couch, and walked over to the door. "We're closed!" he called out. The voices sounded youthful, almost childlike. Cloud turned the door handle and pushed out the door.

Immediately two little bodies collided into Cloud, knocking the wind out of him completely. Denzel and Marlene! Cloud somewhat staggered, but he bent forward and patted the two children's heads and peaked out the door. "Barret? What the hell?"

An overly muscular man standing a little over six feet moseyed over to where Cloud was standing and let out a hearty laugh. "Yo buddy, 'what the hell?' Is that the kind of greeting that you offer to friends nowadays?"

"Only for you, Barret," Cloud smirked.

"Wise-ass, eh? I show you," Barret jogged forward and twisted Cloud into a headlock position, scrubbing his hair with his fist, "How do you like that, asshole?"

Cloud could never get tired of Barret's humor. It seemed to always lighten the entire environment around him, even if Barret's jokes may seem a bit rough sometimes.

"Barret, you're choking me. I'm not _that_ durable."

Barret let go and gave another loud chuckle, "I figured the mighty world hero could fight for himself for a change instead of saving others!"

_Again with the hero business_, "Ah, whatever, you're almost twice my size anyway, man. Hey, by the way, what brings you here anyway?" Cloud asked.

Barret made his way inside the bar and sat on the floor with Marlene and Denzel. "Well, my little girl here wanted to visit her hero! And how can I refuse," he got up, walked back to Cloud, put his hand up and whispered, "Oh yeah, and Denzel felt a little homesick, he wouldn't admit it, but I could tell. Yeah, so I brought the poor kid back here."

"Big guy with a big heart. That's you right?" Cloud said with a sense of mockery in his voice.

"Hey, Spiky," Barret began. Then he started cracking his knuckles, "You sure you wanna go there? I'll wipe your head clean of sarcasm"

Cloud smiled, "There are kids here, you know."

"Damnit! You lucked out this time!" Barret growled. They both laughed.

Barret looked at the kids again, "All right, kids, I'll check up on you guys tomorrow! Don't stay up too late, or else Cloud here will get a major beating from me first thing in the morning!"

"Uh wait, what? You're leaving them here?"

"What's wrong, Cloud? Didn't you miss us while we were gone today?" Marlene said, tugging at Cloud's overcoat.

"Definitely did. Sorry, I was just surprised by the sudden visit. Relax, I'll enjoy the company." Cloud felt rather guilty. _Yeah, I really have to stay here more often. Time for me to settle._

"Yay!" cheered both Marlene and Denzel. "Bye, Daddy! See you soon!" Marlene exclaimed, hugging her adoptive father by the waistline.

"Bye now, Marlene. Make sure Cloud and Denzel stay out of trouble, got it?" Barret joked as he made his exit.


	5. Love or Infatuation

**Chapter 04:**

Two hyperactive kids at night; Cloud was extremely glad that he has no temper issues. The activities ranged from soda drinking contests, to couch-jumping contests, to tag, to crazed versions of hide-and-seek, to whatever else was going on. Cloud lost track of events by the time the clock tolled twelve, midnight. _Shouldn't have let them drink soda_, Cloud muttered to himself. His back hurt from Denzel jumping onto his back during the "couch-jumping contest." _Might as well have called it the "Jump on Cloud contest,"_ he sighed. He reluctantly rose from his seat and set off to put the over-energetic children to bed. Little does Cloud know, he was in for a surprise…

Tifa and Yuffie stopped by two clothing stores subsequent to leaving the coffee shop. Tifa enjoyed this rare night out; it was something she hasn't participated in for quite some time. In addition, it helped relieve her mind of all the drama that was currently enveloping her. Still, inside she was somewhat disappointed that Cloud neither called nor followed Yuffie and her on their night out. Tifa shook away her frustration. _He's like that_, she reassured herself.

Yuffie was still a teenager, eighteen as a matter of fact, and evidently, as Tifa noticed, she was still crazed about the nightlife, the clothes, and the carefree fun. Apparently, the young ninja has not noticed the time yet and continued to skip and yip down the streets of Midgar. It was a peaceful sight: Yuffie having fun and not having any worries about helping friends defend the world from annihilation, other civilians minding their own businesses, and overall, everyone living their respective normal lives.

Tifa held back for a few moments, but decided to call Yuffie back. "Hey, it's getting a bit late. I think we should turn back now."

Yuffie turned around, a hint of misery in her eyes that nearly blew away Tifa with guilt. "But we barely made it through a quarter of Midgar! And where's Cloud? I thought he'd catch up to us by now. By the way, what time is it actually? And―" Before Yuffie could say another word, Tifa put her hand up for a moment to calm down.

"Cloud's probably back at Heaven still and it's past midnight now. Come on, Yuff. We'll see each other and everyone else tomorrow anyway."

"Oh, all right," Yuffie finally heaved a sigh in defeat, "Next time then. Girls' night out again!"

The young ninja zipped silently into the darkness of the alleys without a trace. _She's getting good at that,_ Tifa noted to herself, as she turned to the opposite way to head home. _Home_―_to her… family?_

_

* * *

_

Marlene and Denzel hid in a closet in the second-story hallway and awaited their blonde-haired guardian. A few minutes passed before the kids heard slow, weighted footsteps creeping up the stairs that they recognized to be Cloud's heavy boots. Marlene let out a small giggle before Denzel shushed her. They don't want to ruin their little surprise for Cloud. There the two children remained while they peered through the small opening in the closet, waiting for Cloud's appearance.

Cloud sauntered slowly into Marlene and Denzel's room, only to find no kids there. He peered around, mumbled, and turned to head towards the other side of the hallway. "Marlene, Denzel, where are you two troublemakers? I'm tired, get over here." He was just past the closet that Marlene and Denzel were hiding in until the doors of the closet swung open and the two kids leapt out and tackled him.

"Ouch!" Cloud called out as he fell on the floor with the two children on top of his back, "What was that for? Come on, you two should be asleep by now." He flipped over and grabbed the two kids, one under each of his arm. "Marlene, your dad will kill me," he joked, "I'm goin' to have to force you two to get to bed. And Denzel, you're older, you should know better!"

"Tifa told me that tomorrow is supposed to be a special day!" Marlene squealed, laughing at the situation that Denzel and she were in.

Cloud kept walking towards the children's room without looking at Marlene, but asked, "And why's that?"

"Because―" Denzel started.

Marlene cut in, "No! I wanna tell him," she sniggered at Denzel's disgusted look on his face, "Tifa told me that tomorrow will be the second anniversary of her joining AVALANCHE, meeting my daddy, everyone else, and of course, reuniting later with you!"

"Really?" Cloud wanted to hit himself for sounding stupid, he also wanted ask why did she throw in the, "reuniting with you," part. He and Tifa didn't reunite until a while later after Tifa joined AVALANCHE. _Kids will be kids. They say everything they hear,_ Cloud remarked. "Does Tifa have something planned for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, duh!" Denzel spoke out, "Everyone's gonna be there! You will too, right, Cloud?"

Cloud nodded. "Before we get anymore excited, you two have to go to sleep, or else you won't have much energy left for tomorrow."

They two kids agreed. Cloud released them and whispered "good night" to each of them before he closed the door and headed to his own room.

* * *

Tifa opened the door to Seventh Heaven and rubbed her eyes. It was past one in the morning, and she has to wake up early tomorrow in order to tidy up the bar. It was a mess. _What happened?_ She thought. _I'm pretty sure the place didn't look like this when I left. _She could clean up at the moment, but she was far too exhausted. Tifa yawned and made her way upstairs. _If he was the one that decided not to come along on the night out and stayed to trash the place, I'll give him a peace of my mind!_

When she arrived at the top of the staircase, Tifa heard multiple snoring sounds. At first, she was a bit startled, wondering if a stranger (or strangers) managed to sneak into her abode. However, Tifa noticed the small snoring sounds came from Marlene and Denzel's room and she rethought. She quietly nudged the door open and found two peaceful kids, each sleeping in their own bed. Tifa smiled, satisfied and, in a way, relieved. She turned towards her room, but hesitated.

The door to Cloud's room was closed, but not locked, so Tifa gently opened the door and peeked in. It was dark, but with minimal moonlight seeping through the windows, so she could make out the shape of the sleeping young man. Tifa regretted doing so, but she involuntarily made her way to the bedside of Cloud, her face exceedingly close to his. She wanted to kiss him good night, but held back, and yet couldn't stand holding back. "What is this, love or infatuation?" she supposed, almost muted.

"Do you love me?" came a voice. "Ti―" Stopped. Cloud turned, his face now facing the ceiling.

Tifa nearly gasped in utter astonishment, nearly choking as she felt like her throat was in tangle with her heart. She remembered she asked the same question to Cloud when he was sleeping about a week ago. _Who is he talking to? Her? _Tifa stood up with her shaking legs, almost stumbling. She still slipped, but sat back down on the floor with the least amount of noise. "What…?" she gasped.

Cloud was still asleep. _Did he even say that?_ Tifa wondered. "Cloud?" she murmured, "Are you dreaming? You can talk to me."

No response. Just light, sleeping breaths.

Tifa shook herself back to consciousness and leaned forward. She gave Cloud a tender peck on his cheek and stroked his hair with the tips of her fingers and whispered into his ear, "I don't know about yours, but I know mine. Good night, Cloud." And she left the room, closing the door quietly with great gentleness. Utterly confused and completely awakened, as Tifa was then, she cleared her mind the best she could and decided to return back to the bar downstairs to clean and organize.

"Damnit, I forgot about the party," she cursed. She just hoped that she would have enough energy by the time the guests arrive. _This is the last time I stay up this late._

It was approximately three in the morning by the time Tifa brought herself to her own room, done with cleaning, her shower, and everything else she felt like doing before turning in. She took off her black outfit, slipped into a white sleeping gown, and threw herself onto her bed and instantaneously drifted into sleep.


	6. New Perspectives

**Chapter 05:**

Cloud woke up with intense sunlight on his face. He sat up and checked the time: almost eight in the morning. _Screw it. I'm not taking any calls for deliveries today._

He cracked his neck and stretched before proceeding on getting dressed. He grabbed a standard vest and baggy pants, all black, and set off for the bathroom. Eight in the morning to him was late, way past the time he normally leaves at to deliver packages for customers. Yet, he did not have seconds thoughts when he decided to stay home instead. _Home. Here? Maybe…_ Cloud groaned out loud and scratched the back of his head. _Stop being stupid. You're unbelievably lucky, you know. Saving the world without losing your arms and legs, not to mention your life, even. You have wonderful friends that stay by your side in times of distress and chaos. Now you have a place to stay all your life, and you're still asking questions? What, are Tifa and the kids not good enough for you? Are your friends pathetic, or something? What is with you? Snap out of it! You're _not_ dreaming, this _is_ your life, and it's great. So accept it before you officially miss out._

Cloud jerked his head up and stood almost abnormally straight, facing life as it is. _My life_. Cloud's mind now settled on maintaining this life of his, as he mentally listed and arranged goals for himself to keep and any routines that he would make habits of. _I won't let go again, not this time._

Then again, his conscience tells him that his life is great, but Cloud knows that he failed more than once. The guilt bomb had been dropped upon him each time, making him regret all his choices and all he had done. Well, regrets were regrets, but only one woman stood by him day in and day out to reassure him that everything would be okay. Cloud speedily finished his morning hygienic routine and went towards Tifa's room. He developed these needs to see her for some reason. Although he knows that she is safe and that she is perfectly capable of defending herself (being that she's a superb martial artist), Cloud refused to cease checking up on Tifa. He slowly pushed open the door to Tifa's room and heard a little creak. Tifa was still in bed, curled up with her back, visible through the see-through back of the sleeping gown, facing Cloud. Cloud did not notice how time flew by as he stared at Tifa's back from the doorway; he then approached Tifa and sat at the edge of the bed.

Not even a minute passed and Tifa, eyes still closed, started talking to Cloud. "You know, you asked a pretty incredible question last night when you were sleeping, Cloud. I don't know if you were asking me or someone else."

Cloud looked at Tifa. "You were in my room?" he asked, but it was obvious in his tone that he didn't mind whether or not Tifa entered his room without permission, "What did I ask you?"

Tifa slightly opened her eyes and shifted her position; her body was still curled as she collected the blankets towards her.

"Tifa, what did I ask? Was I talking in my sleep?" Cloud moved to Tifa's bedside, facing her. "Tifa."

"I don't know. Never mind." Tifa closed her eyes and swallowed before asking, "Hey, do you still think of… Aerith?"

Cloud foresaw the question; it was to be asked eventually. "I do. She was a friend…"

Tifa opened her eyes again, "A friend, that's all? Don't you think softly of her?" Tifa lamented about bringing up the topic. _I fear pain…_

"…A dear friend, yes, but not someone I think of like that…" Cloud had trouble with his selection of words. He didn't want to lie about his own opinions, nor did he want Tifa to assume wrongly. "Tifa, nothing happened between us before and nothing would've. I loved her as a friend, nothing more or less."

"Okay," said Tifa, "That's all I wanted to know."

Cloud was about to ask Tifa what was it that he asked her in his sleep last night, but he chose to keep quiet for now. He decided to ask something else instead. "Did you ever forgive me, Tifa?"

Tifa now looked to Cloud, a little angry now with him, "I thought you were capable of forgiving yourself, Cloud. You forgave yourself over Aerith, why won't you forgive yourself over me?" She closed her eyes and turned away, her back facing Cloud once again.

"I don't think I'll be able to do that," Cloud got up from the bedside, "Nobody deserved the pain that I've caused. Especially you." He left her room in an instant. Tifa called out…

"Cloud, I closed the bar today since everyone's coming over. I hope you'll be able to stay." There was _almost_ a begging tone to her voice and Cloud gazed back from outside the door. He forgot to mention to Tifa that he was planning on skipping work for the day.

"Umm, I'm staying. I decided to drop all delivery calls for today."

Tifa sat up and smiled, "Really? You're really staying here for the whole day?" Her anger from a minute ago seemed to have completely dissipated from the news.

"I guess," Cloud replied, "It won't be a problem, will it?"

"No, no, of course not," said Tifa almost immediately. She wanted him to stay for so long. "I'm gonna get changed, so…" Tifa felt herself blush a little as she motioned her hand toward the hallway, indicating for Cloud to either turn around or go somewhere else. Cloud got the message and departed.

Denzel and Marlene were already downstairs when Cloud stepped into the living room. The phone rang and Cloud diverted his attention from the kids to the phone.

"Hello, Strife De― umm, Seventh Heaven―"

_"Spiky! Haha, finally woke up, eh? I called like two hours ago and neither you nor Tifa decided to answer!"_

"Yeah, everyone was still sleeping that time," Cloud looked down and found Marlene tugging on the seam of his vest, "What is it, Marlene."

"Who's that calling, Cloud?" Marlene asked in a sweet, small voice.

"It's your dad."

"Daddy!" Marlene yelled out.

_"Is that Marlene? Yo, when did you put the kids to bed yesterday, anyway?"_ Barret inquired.

"Uh, I think around nine or ten or so," Cloud lied.

_"Ah, for real? Good man, now I won't have to kick your ass or anything. Tell my little girl I said hi and I love her and I'll see her soon. Oh, you do know Cid and I will be over there later this afternoon, right? That bastard can't wait for Tifa's drinks!"_ Barret was laughing unbelievably loudly that Cloud had to move the phone a few inches away from his ear.

"All right, man. Do you know who else is coming today?" Cloud asked as soon as the monstrous laughs stopped.

_"The whole gang, I think! Me, Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Red, and that damn Cait Sith are all coming. I think Shera will be coming, too. I doubt poor Cid has the power to leave her behind!"_ Barret let out another huge laugh with Cloud moving the phone away from his ears again.

"That's great. I can't wait to see everyone again and just relax."

_"Amen! Later, jerk!"_

Cloud hung the phone back up and went to where Denzel and Marlene were sitting. He noticed how spotless the bar was, even though the kids had garbage and toys everywhere last night. _Tifa must've cleaned the place up when she came back last night. Whoa, how ironic. I'm usually the one that gets back late._ Cloud continued his way and sat down on the floor between Denzel and Marlene. "Hey, you two. Since our friends are coming over today, how 'bout helping me make the bar even cleaner than it is already? And let's make some breakfast for Tifa."

Denzel was the first to jump up, "Sure! Tifa taught Marlene how to cook stuff for me when you were gone or when Tifa's busy with the customers!"

Cloud looked away. _Damnit, I didn't know that. I really did leave too much and for too long._ He shook his head, and responded, "That's great, so what can you make, Marlene?"

"Tifa showed me how to scramble eggs and make those nice noodles," Marlene began, "But I can't make them perfectly like Tifa can."

"Noodles? For breakfast?" Cloud asked, "Eggs are good, how about ham and bacon?"

"I can do that, those are easy!" Denzel exclaimed, "Marlene, you do the eggs and I'll do the bacon!"

"Okay!" the two kids ran off into the kitchen to grab the necessary materials.

Cloud watched as the two children used their hyperactivity to do some good for a change. Ever since Denzel's Geostigma was cured, he was as strong as he was spunky. Cloud got up from the floor and paced around the bar, helping the kids when they couldn't reach certain things. He continued to battle his conscience, but he seemed to be winning. More positive thoughts swept through his mind, improving his mentality. Physically and mentally relaxed, Cloud breathed a sigh of relief and passed through the kitchen. "Let me know if you guys need any help, all right?" he said to the kids, "I'll be upstairs for a bit." _Everything will be fine from now on. I will make sure of that._

Cloud walked up the stairs, oddly, at a quicker pace than normal. He strolled by Tifa's room only to observe that she was changed, but somehow managed to fall back to sleep on her bed again. Cloud chuckled to himself and decided to wake her up after the kids made breakfast. He returned downstairs to check on the children's progress.

"Cloud, we're done!" Denzel called after about thirty minutes.

Cloud got up from the couch and arrived in the kitchen. His eyes bulged slightly. "This is actually very nice," he complimented enthusiastically, "For certain, it's better than anything I can ever cook."

Two scrambled eggs with signs of spices and pepper on them, two trips of bacon, and a slice of ham awaited on a porcelain dish. Cloud gave the two kids a thumbs-up (with an equal, excited return by the children) and carried the dish upstairs. He stood by the doorway to Tifa's room and felt a minuscule tug of guiltiness in his chest for waking up the sleeping beauty. _Whatever,_ thought Cloud as entered the room with a grin on his face. He went by to Tifa's bedside, where he stood earlier before, and put the dish on the bedside desk. He gently nudged Tifa's arm with his hand, waiting for a response.

"Tifa."

Tifa let out a soft groan and opened her eyes. She sat up, vaguely bemused, while facing Cloud. "Oh no, what time is it? How long did I doze off for―and what's that I smell?" Then she turned her attention to the dish on the beside desk, "Oh my…" Tifa managed to spurt out. "Did you make this, Cloud?"

Cloud stood up, "I wish," he joked. "It was all the kids' work."

"Aw, that's sweet," Tifa smiled, "I suppose this was your idea, though?"

Cloud didn't feel like showing off or taking any credit, but he managed to say, "Yeah, kind of."

Tifa got up and placed a kiss on Cloud's cheek. "Thanks, I appreciate it." She picked up the plate and began her breakfast while Cloud took the time to check out the room.

"I never actually paid attention to what's in your room."

"Well, that's because there's not much in here to pay attention to," Tifa answered.

Cloud went by one of the shelves and found Tifa's fighting gloves. He took them in his hands and felt the smooth, black leather. _Still perfect. No rips or scratches even after countless battles,_ he noted. He placed the gloves back on the shelves and turned to Tifa, who was just about done with her breakfast in bed.

"Did the kids do a good job?" Cloud questioned.

Tifa put the plate back on the desk and was putting on her boots. "It was perfect."

"That's good."

Cloud was about to exit when Tifa asked, "Um, who made the bacon and the ham? I don't recall teaching Marlene that. Did Denzel…?"

"Yeah. The bacon and ham part was from him."

"He's full of surprises, isn't he?" Tifa said and Cloud nodded. "Just like you," she added.

Cloud and Tifa found them staring into each other's eyes once again. It was times like these that Cloud was left speechless. Moments like these left Tifa in anxiety. When speechlessness and anxiety combined, it was a case of non-communication. Both adults simply gazed at each other in silence; yet they were comfortable.

"Remember yesterday you said you feel for me what I feel for you?" Tifa asked.

Cloud nodded and said nothing more. In a few moments, Cloud and Tifa found their faces almost touching again by the doorway.

"Tifaaaa!" Marlene called from the first-story, "Tifa! Yuffie's at the door!"

Tifa and Cloud separated before even making contact, Tifa's face slightly reddened, and Cloud once again in a daze.

"Coming," Tifa called back.


	7. The Gathering

**Chapter 06:**

Yuffie was the first to arrive at Seventh Heaven. In a few hours, Barret, followed by Cid Highwind and his assistant (and companion) Shera. After Barret greeted Marlene, the two men immediately set off to search for Cloud while Tifa, Yuffie, Shera, and the two children lingered in the living room. Yuffie was still highly energetic, despite the late night out. Barret and Cid stormed up to the second-story and carried the unsuspecting and struggling Cloud down to the living room.

"And now we're missing that goddamn dark freak, the dog, and the cat," Cid noted, "Then the gang'll be all here." Cloud looked in Cid's direction. Barret looked at Cloud…

"He meant Vincent, Red VIII, and Cait Sith, dumbass," Barret answered for Cloud, "What don't you get? Vincent's all dark and stuff, Red's a frickin' dog, and Cait Sith's a frickin' cat―"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I know. I was just… wondering," said Cloud.

Tifa gave Cloud an aggravated look. _What now? He's so confusing sometimes. _Tifa shot Cloud another look. _Never mind, he's always confusing._ "Drinks anyone?" Tifa asked as she stood up.

"Hell yes! Me! Me!" Cid cried out. Cloud and Barret burst out laughing.

_Well, at least someone here can make Cloud laugh,_ Tifa noted to herself. "All right, Cid. I'll get you something that'll knock you out on the first trial. Hey, come over and help me set up, Yuffie."

"Good. Don't go easy on him, Tifa. It takes me ages to get Cid here to shut up for a good ten minutes," Shera commented. Cloud and Barret laughed again. No one knew how Cid and Shera got along all the time; it was insult after insult, snide remark after remark.

While Tifa and Yuffie worked on the drinks by the bar, Barret stood up to make an announcement. Everyone in the living room ceased their actions and offered their attention to the old leader of AVALANCHE. Even though the leadership role of AVALANCHE was passed onto Cloud, Cloud devoted equal attention to Barret. Times for amusements and importance greatly differ, as the moment of amusements passed and Barret prepared a significant speech. Even Cid's trucker-mouth sealed up as Barret took a deep breath and prepared to speak.

"You know, before I met all of ya's, AVALANCHE was pretty much a terrorist group, blowing up Mako reactors and other Shin-Ra facilities. But now, after all these twisted years, we, all of us here, finally pulled through! It was hard for even me to believe at first―and I believe almost everything I see―but now I feel like hope has finally come through, and peace is finally restored. There's no need for violence and all that now, and hopefully not ever in our near future or any of our kids' future. It's damn nice to be rewarded with somethin' like peace, you know. The Shin-Ra company's powers have been relieved, and I guess, for the most part, and for most of us, our pasts can be a bit more settled." He glanced at Cid, whose dreams of flying into space have been crushed by the greed of Shin-Ra, then at Yuffie, whose hometown was tossed into disgraceful periods after a war with Shin-Ra, then at Cloud, who once served as a SOLDIER for Shin-Ra, who lost two close friends in the old battles years ago, and whose life was altered in more ways than anyone in AVALANCHE could ever comprehend. Tifa was listening intently and noticed Barret's eyes stray from Cid to Yuffie to Cloud. Barret's own life was crushed by Shin-Ra, in which he lost his wife, his best friend, and his right arm. Tifa sighed, not wanting to recall the past, but breathed in what she believed to be a new world peace.

Cloud looked down and closed his eyes. "Let's celebrate this new peace then."

Cid jumped up, "You damn right we should, I never thought I'd say this, but you're damn right, Spiky! And Barret, damn the past with Shin-Ra to a hellhole! We're done with it!" Cid felt a cold hand on his shoulder. "What the f―"

"Vincent?" Cloud opened his eyes and looked up.

Tifa and Yuffie shifted their attention from the drinks to the heavily cloaked man standing behind Cid. "How did you get in here without anyone noticing, Vincent?" She knew it was a ridiculous question to ask; nearly everyone in the room had their own ways of sneaking around.

"I didn't feel like interrupting Barret. I simply slid down from the chimney," Vincent stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

"You wacko!" Cid pushed Vincent's metallic hand away, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Vincent waved his hand at Cid in a mocking way, to which Cid's face reddened with contempt. Barret had to force the hothead to sit down. Vincent strolled over to Cloud, who greeted him in his usual way, "So, Vincent, what's going on?"

Vincent pulled part of his cloak to the side, revealing a black object. "I found a phone salesman."

"About time," Marlene scoffed. Vincent glanced at the little girl by Barret's feet and said:

"Phone salesmen are hard to come by these days. You don't know how long I had to search."

Tifa and Yuffie returned to the living room to set down some drinks on the table. Cid eagerly seized a glass and exclaimed, "I need an extra hard one if I have to deal with this guy all day," referring to Vincent.

"Since when did you start holding a grudge against Vincent, Cid?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"I don't got a grudge against anybody! He snuck up on me!"

"Get over it, man," Barret interjected, "Uh, celebration time! On Tifa's drinks!"

Cid gave up and started sipping on his drink and the group started reminiscing about their glorious victories of the past and of recent events. Cloud did not say anything in particular, hesitant in diving back into the past, regardless if it is either remembering good events or bad events. Tifa noticed Cloud's diffidence and sat down right next to him, as a sign of understanding and support. Cloud, in turn, recognized the gesture and gradually lightened up. In a few minutes, later in the afternoon, both Red VIII and Cait Sith showed at the door and made their entrance. Formal salutations were finally exchanged, unlike the unofficial greetings that the old party members swapped during the conflict against Bahamut SIN two days ago.

After a couple of side conversations, one sentence sparked up a series of commotion. "Hey, everyone, you know what's going on between Cloud and Tifa? They―"

"Yuffie!" Tifa shrieked.

"Ugh… are you drunk?" was all Cloud said in reaction.

Tifa winced, mentally hitting herself for not noticing a glass of liquor in Yuffie's small hands. "Oh, my gosh, Yuffie, you're not supposed to drink! These aren't for you! Oh, no."

The members of AVALANCHE all turned their heads and faced Cloud and Tifa, who were both sitting side by side together on the same couch. Tifa felt her face burning and Cloud simply continued staring at Yuffie, but then turned and stared into space. Yuffie continued talking, "Yeah… as I was saying―"

"Yuffie!" Tifa cut in again. _Damn, I'm just making this worse by trying to hold Yuffie back._

Tifa was right, now Cid raised an eyebrow towards the two and Barret had his arms crossed. Vincent had no emotion on his face, but he let out a small chuckle. Shera's grin spread across her entire face. Denzel and Marlene were both sitting on the floor, clueless.

"Rawr," Cait Sith said, making a clawing gesture at the air.

_Oh, great, _Tifa thought,_ this is exactly what I need right now. How awkward._ She looked at Cloud, which was something she shouldn't have done. Cloud returned the look back to Tifa, which just amplified the awkwardness.

Barret broke the silence and quietly laughed, "Well, then. Yuffie's drunk."

Cid snickered and said, "What is she, like eighteen or somethin'? Hell no, not even I drank at that age!" Shera smacked the back of his head. "What the? What was that for, Shera?"

"Liar," she coughed.

"Yeah, well, at least I didn't get drunk in a matter of minutes!" Cid took another look at Yuffie, who was smiling gawkily and sitting slightly unbalanced. "Yeah, she's drunk all right."

Tifa sighed. "Denzel and Marlene, you two do me a favor, okay? Take Yuffie upstairs and get her to lie down in my room."

The two children nodded, got up from the floor, grabbed Yuffie's hands, and led her up the stairs in a few seconds. Tifa sighed again. "Umm…"

Cloud gave a fleeting look to Tifa again, telling her to drop the subject before it gets even more awkward. Tifa shut her mouth and sighed yet again.

Barret burst out laughing, "Yo, this is hilarious! Oh, man, Spiky, what are you hiding from us?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Cloud mumbled. He reluctantly turned to Tifa and whispered from the corner of his mouth, "What do you want me to say…?"

Tifa whispered back as inconspicuously as possible, "Like you said, just drop it."

Cloud turned to Barret again, "Yeah. Nothing, so let's just move on…"

Barret rolled his eyes towards Cid, who rolled his eyes towards Vincent, who just stood in his corner and continued chuckling. "Damn, man, what's so funny?" Barret asked.

"You people are very entertaining. I never realized how comical an _embarrassed_ hush could be." He emphasized on the word "embarrassed," evidently noticing how Cloud and Tifa reacted towards the little episode.

"Goddamn, obviously the two lovebirds there aren't too comfortable with this subject matter, so why don't we just end their misery and just shut up about this crap?" Cid broke in.

Tifa was somewhat relieved, yet a bit annoyed at Cid for publicly declaring Cloud and her as lovebirds. Cloud groaned and shoved his back into the couch's cushions.

_Kids, these days_, Red VIII remarked, "Heh, Cid's right. It's not our business."

Cait Sith took out his megaphone. "If you like, Cloud. I could tell you a fortune," he glanced at Tifa, "Any fortune!" he boomed through his megaphone.

"Damn, shut up!" Barret growled as he smacked the megaphone out of Cait's paws.

"You don't have to be so rough, big guy," Cait Sith mentioned with slight exasperation.

Cloud was uncomfortable enough; he reached her limit. With a blink, he left his spot next to Tifa and walked out the door, leaving a group of very confused guests in the living room. Tifa sat up and stared at the open door.


	8. Love, Not Infatuation

**Ah man, cheers to everyone who took the time to read and give me reviews, they're really motivating. You have my thanks.****  
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**Chapter 07:**

"Now what the hell was that for, you damn cat?" Cid shouted at Cait Sith.

"I meant no harm," was Cait Sith's response. He muttered incoherently to himself.

Without further hesitation, Tifa rushed out of the bar in pursuit of the running Cloud. She had a decently good idea to where Cloud was heading. The rest of AVALANCHE stood up, each of the members looking at one another. Barret was about to join the pursuit after Tifa's vanishing figure down the streets, but Red VIII leapt on top of him.

"Red, stop it, get off of me!"

"I don't believe it as wise to interfere with Cloud and Tifa. Besides, it is _our_ fault for Cloud's possible reinforced confusion and Tifa's revived worry," Red explained.

Vincent strayed closer to the door and shut it. He locked the door and turned to the rest of the group, who watched him closely. He said slowly, "I agree with Red. It's best we leave those two to their own matters."

"Cloud's past has been a great manipulation of his current life. The fact is that Cloud and Tifa are childhood friends as they both share common memories with certain events of the past. We may _think_ we know those two, but we only know a mere portion of their characters," Red continued.

Vincent nodded in agreement. Barret shifted his attention from Red to Vincent to Red again. The two judicious and idealistic members of their group never cease to persuade him toward the better ideas. "Eh, I don't get those two sometimes," he said at last.

"We're not meant to understand everything," Vincent said in reply.

"I have faith in Cloud and Tifa's future," Shera joined in, "I can tell they care a lot more about each other than they imagine."

"I bet Spike-o doesn't get what he imagines," Cid mentions, "As for Tifa… she knows how she feels. Damn, I sound like a goddamn smarty!"

Barret chuckled, "We got us a handful here. Let's all keep in mind that we'll help each other stay on our feet for this point on."

"Agreed," everyone said in unison.

* * *

Tifa was moving as fast as she could, but the fading of Cloud's outline on the roofs of the buildings was imminent. Tifa decided to take a detour; since she was confident she knew where Cloud was heading. She stopped in her tracks and dashed through the alleyways.

Cloud soared from building to building, regardless of how high or short they were. He was without his colossal swords, making his leaps even grander. He knew Tifa was behind him, but he didn't care. He just needed to find solitude for some time. Cloud ignored the shouts from civilians beneath him as he continued his way into Sector 5 of Midgar. This area had not been renovated for a period of time. Fortunately, the area had not been exceedingly damaged like other areas of Midgar, and no service or organizing groups have set out plans to reconstruct Sector 5. Cloud steadily slowed his pace down as he closed in on the Sector 5 Church. Reminiscence overtook him. Cloud halted immediately, shouted, and put his hands to the sides of his head. _No more. Just… stop haunting me._ He eased himself and took in a breath before entering the old church.

He took a step into the flower patch and observed his surroundings. The pool of healing rainwater that rid victims of their Geostigma was still full in the middle of the church. He looked to the sides where the pillars stood and noticed a figure in the shade. She uncrossed her arms and walked towards Cloud. _Tifa._

Cloud expected to see Tifa here in the church, but not so soon. "Tifa," he asked, "How did you know I was here."

He thought for a moment and restated his question before Tifa opened her mouth to answer. "I mean, how did you get here before I did?"

Tifa scowled just slightly, but then switched her lips into a smile and said sweetly, "You're not the only one that visits this place." _It's the truth,_ Tifa told herself. Even sometimes an advisor like her needs outside wisdom.

Cloud shifted his position, as if uncomfortable. "That still doesn't answer my question…"

"I took a shortcut."

"Oh," Cloud said quietly. The solitude he imagined he would find was not here. Nevertheless, Cloud remained in the spot he was standing in.

Tifa continued walking until she was face to face with Cloud. She took his hands in hers and asked, "Do you want to go back right now?"

Cloud's face remained the same: emotionless. His feet remained planted on the ground and his breathing firm and unchanging. "No," he whispered, "I'd like to stay here for a bit."

Tifa nodded and asked, "Would you mind if I stay here with you? You know, so I can keep an eye on you?"

_I would love that,_ Cloud heard his inner thoughts take over. "I wouldn't mind. You're more than welcome to keep an eye on me," he said instead.

Tifa grinned nonchalantly, hiding the frown she wished to express. That was not the answer she wanted to hear, but it was not exactly the worst of answers, in which Cloud may ask her to leave. Tifa nodded and sat in front of Cloud, who was still standing. "Come on. Sit down for now," she suggested.

Cloud obeyed and sat down, now both of them facing directly across from each other. Cloud scratched his head and in a rather peculiar way, said, "Thanks for being here―you know―with me."

_Almost the perfect words,_ Tifa thought. She wanted to smack herself for dreaming of stupid scenarios where Cloud would serenade to her or speak the most pleasant of words to her. _That's just stupid. This is nothing more than infatuation,_ she told herself. Still, Tifa helplessly smiled, this time without hiding any other expressions.

Cloud saw this smile, a genuine smile that he recognized. It was the similar smile that Tifa gave him when he dipped Denzel into the healing water to cure Denzel's Geostigma. But this smile wasn't a smile of gladness or of relief; this time it was more of a smile of satisfaction. Cloud smiled in return, trying to smile as genuinely as Tifa did.

Tifa locked her eyes on Cloud's face. _An irresistible smile. An irresistible man._ Tifa felt these words pass through her mind and heart over and over. She felt herself lean forward, but restrained herself the best she could. Cloud noticed Tifa's mental conflict and her physical uneasiness. This time, Cloud was the one to offer his hands. Tifa felt herself involuntarily moving her hands to merge with Cloud's. She wanted to pull back and remain still, but she did not restrain herself this time.

"For all those times you stood by my side, helped me, or even attempted to help me, I never thanked you once―" Cloud began to say.

Tifa shook their hands playfully, trying to maintain the atmosphere around them as innocent as possible, "Yeah, you did. You did thank me."

"Umm, no, I didn't. I could have sworn I didn't."

Tifa leaned forward, but she kept herself at a reasonable distance for both Cloud and her. "I can see the gratitude in your eyes."

Cloud was puzzled… again. "Really. I… never would have guessed that you'd have the ability to do that," he said, poorly hiding his perplexed state.

Tifa felt herself lean closer again, "There are still a load of things you don't know about me…"

Tifa didn't bother restraining herself this time as she fell into Cloud's arms. She had her face pressed into one of Cloud's shoulders as she placed both her hands on his chest. "Like, do you know this is the most comfortable position for me?"

Cloud gave in. _She's more than just your friend. Way more._ "I know now. And it's true, it is pretty comfortable." He had his arms around her back, gently stroking her as he spoke. "I think you know everything about me already. We fell in the Lifestream, and my memories unraveled for your viewing. I was out cold. Pity."

Tifa closed her eyes, remembering their one night together the eve before the climactic battle with Sephiroth. "I only know so much about you, Cloud. I know nothing about how you think or what you think." He nodded and Tifa let out a small sigh. It was an intimate moment for the both of them.

"Cloud," she continued, "The world's finally at peace…"

"Yeah," Cloud said calmly.

"…but is your heart at peace?" Tifa finished.

"His will be soon," a voice said from the background. Cloud and Tifa both disengaged and looked towards the doors of the church. A fleeting image of Aerith came and went, appearing and fading in a matter of seconds.

"Aerith…" Tifa heard herself whisper. She glanced at Cloud, who simply stared. Tifa put her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Cloud, are you… okay?" She feared that Cloud's past may overthrow his will once again. However, Cloud merely smiled and returned a look to Tifa.

"It was nice to see her again, right?" he asked smoothly.

_So he really, really did forgive himself? Did he really move on?_ Tifa was ecstatic inside, completely overjoyed. Only one thing was left on her mind that still troubled her.

"Then Cloud, what's still bothering you?" Tifa asked, "Because it's troubling me the same."

Cloud sighed and said without looking at Tifa, "I already told you."

Tifa creased her eyebrows, "What did you say was bothering you?"

Cloud turned and faced her. "All that's left is me seeking your forgiveness―_wait_―before you say anything, let me finish."

Tifa closed her mouth and nodded, allowing Cloud to continue. "I know I wasn't the greatest of friends. I was never really able to protect you from harm, even though I specifically promised you that I would do so―_" _Cloud put up his hand for a second, "_Wait,_" he repeated as he noticed Tifa opening her mouth again to speak. "I think you already know that I joined SOLDIER to impress you, to be able to protect you in the future upon my promise to you. You already know my memory was screwed up, but having a messed-up memory was no excuse for how I acted. I was neglectful and ignorant. You remained by me through _all_ that time without arguing or complaining… and what do I do? Not a thing. I paid little or no attention to you before and after the face-off with Sephiroth. I left you and the kids at the bar too many times to go unnoticed. I regret all that… forgive me."

Tifa remained silent as Cloud spoke, with his gaze slowly shifting from Tifa's face to his own feet. Her eyes started to water and Tifa wrapped her arms around Cloud, resting her head against his chest. She then kissed him on the lips as passionately as she possibly could. She closed her eyes and let her heart take over. _It's not infatuation. It's love._ She broke off and rested her head on Cloud's chest again. "Fine, Cloud. I forgive you. Did you ever get my message on your old phone…? Remember, I said, I never despised you. Not even once. I love you."

Cloud moved his arms and wrapped them around Tifa. Her body was quivering to some extent, and Cloud squeezed his arms around her a little tighter, protecting and shielding her. The two of them stayed in that position next to the healing rainwater pool, as time ceased to continue to pass.


	9. Mind Your Own Business

**I kept this chapter short, as sort of like an "intermission" between events.**

**Don't worry, I'll keep adding more to the story. I have a whole layout set up. This won't end until I specifically say it will end. :D  
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* * *

Chapter 08:**

It was well into the evening when Yuffie woke up in Tifa's room. _Wow, I feel sick. I wonder how I got up here? And why is it dark?_ She searched for a light and found one. She switched it on and proceeded in searching for the time and found that, too. "Ugh, almost seven," she said out loud to herself. Yuffie stretched, left the room, and made her way down the stairs. She was greeted by the same people as before: Barret, Vincent, Cid, Shera, Red VIII, Cait Sith, the two children, and…

Yuffie looked around the room. "Where's blondie and the bar mistress?"

It took a moment before the group realized who Yuffie was asking for. "If you must know, Spiky and Tifa went on a… err… _business trip_. Yeah," Barret said finally, "A private trip."

Cid snorted. "A 'business trip?' Is that the best you got? A 'private trip?' Dang, Barret, you're bad at making stuff up. Or making analogies and comparisons, or whatever."

"Well, it is a goddamn trip ain't it?" Barret countered. Cid smirked.

"Call it a goddamn trip, but I'll call it a goddamn _outing!_"

"Oh, yeah? Then I―"

"Hold it!" Yuffie interrupted. "So, basically, they're not here, right?" Barret and Cid nodded simultaneously. "Uh huh, okay. You don't have to make it so complicated. It's not like I'm totally clueless, you know."

Red shook his head. "People waste too much time getting involved with the drama of others' lives. I suggest we pay attention to matters that actually _concern_ us."

"I agree," said Cid.

"Doesn't concern me, but it sure does interest me!" Yuffie peeped in a squeaky, singsong voice.

Cait Sith stood up, but still at least two-and-a-half feet below everyone's eyes. "Doesn't concern me either, and I was gonna tell Cloud's fortune, too! That would've been fascinating!"

Before anyone realized it, Cid started to yell. "All right, all right! Goddamn, sit all ya asses down!" Everyone suddenly ended their side-talks and took their seats. "Now, I may not seem like it, but I damn well respect Spike-o and Tifa's connections. I'd hate it to hell if a bastard like me and good o' Shera had people talkin' funny behind our backs! This makes me sick―shit! I need a cigarette…" Cid's face was beet-red, but he quickly relaxed and slumped into the couch next to Shera.

"Well said, Captain," said Shera quietly, "A little vulgar in word choices, but still of good will, even so."

"Ugh, yeah, whatever…" Cid mumbled.

The rest of the party sat in silence; some of them, such as Yuffie and Cait Sith, had guilt-stricken expressions on their faces. Vincent got up, walked, and leaned into the corner of the room again. "We're clear, Cid."

"Damn, I don't care anymore, man. I want my cigarette!" Cid complained. He stood up and headed out the door, a cigarette in his mouth. "Ah, that's better…" Cid's faint voice was heard outside the bar.


	10. Together

**Chapter 09:**

It was the first time they _both_ wanted to smile their greatest smiles at the same time. It was the first time they _both_ wanted to embrace each other at the same time. It was the first time they _both_ wanted to kiss each other at the same time. It was the first time they _both_ walked hand-in-hand, slowly through Midgar on their way back to Edge. Tifa dreamed of such a day coming true. Cloud felt Tifa and his situation was just right, as if it was bound to happen by fate. Every once in a while, Tifa would lean on Cloud's shoulder, purely relaxing her body against his. Cloud would do nothing in disapproval, allowing the two of them to take in each other's presence. He would occasionally smile to himself, thinking, hoping, perhaps he finally and truly will make things right.

"Tifa," Cloud spoke up after a long period of tranquil silence, "Remember you asked me if I thought we're a family?"

Cloud felt Tifa's head gently rubbing up and down on his shoulder, indicating a "yes." Cloud took a small breath and continued, "To be honest, I say we are. Yeah, we are like a small family." He looked to the side and found Tifa smiling at him. _Perfect._ He took in another small breath. "I was also thinking… that I might resign from my delivery service."

Tifa looked up and stammered, "Huh? W-Why would you want to do that, Cloud?"

"So I wouldn't be gone for who knows how long everyday."

"Cloud, it's your job… and if you need to do it, then you go and do it."

Cloud already made up his mind. "I don't need to. We saved enough money to last us for a very long time already."

Tifa sighed. _We're finally together. And now, we're going to stay together._ "This is too good to be true. Are you sure you're not making this choice just to please me?"

"I'm sure. I want to quit," Cloud said almost instantly.

"Okay, but it certainly is pleasing me…" Tifa said, trailing off as she leaned back on Cloud's shoulder, gripping his arm. She never thought herself as loving romance and cherishing intimate times, but the few moments she had shared with Cloud over the years filled parts of her heart slowly and slowly. Now Tifa felt her heart surge from every contact she makes with Cloud, she felt that her soul changed, and she loved the feeling.

"I love you too much, Cloud," she whispered. She had to say it before she exploded.

Cloud paused for a second before he said anything. He was not one who expressed his feelings in words. Still, he felt a compulsiveness to answer Tifa. "I… love you, too," he said, quite slowly. _Never in my whole damn life have I said those words,_ he recalled. _It feels weird to say it the first time._ Tifa slipped her hand into his, as they continued their way back to Seventh Heaven, holding hands once more.

Not before long, the newly established couple turned a corner and saw Cid sitting right outside the bar, smoking a cigarette. Cid looked at the couple and smiled a silly-looking smile. "Well, well, look here! I see you two formed a little somethin', huh? Ooh, things won't be quite the same here at the bar, now, would it?" Cid gave Cloud and Tifa a casual wink and put out his cigarette. "Want me to tell the gang that you guys came back? We were all waitin'."

Tifa smiled and nodded, then turned to Cloud as Cid headed into the bar. "Did you notice he did not swear once that whole time?"

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" A series of yells came from inside Seventh Heaven. Cloud knew who shouted and rolled his eyes.

Tifa shook her head. "Never mind. Cid? What happened in there?" she called. She saw Yuffie rampaging out from the bar and onto the corner of the street where Cloud and Tifa were standing, the two of them still hand-in-hand.

"Goddamnit, Yuffie! You don't have to kick me to the side and run me over!" Cid roared. Yuffie stuck out her tongue, which made Cid let out a string of more foul language.

Yuffie was beaming and giddily hopping up and down at the sight of the couple's joined hands. "Oh, gosh, oh, wow! Is it gonna be serious? You two are actually gonna stay together? Like _for real _together? Ahh!" Yuffie squealed.

Cloud smirked and Tifa replied, "Oh, Yuff," she glanced at Cloud and continued, "I know for sure things will be a little different around here from now on." Tifa smiled and Cloud smiled back. Yuffie let out another thrilled squeal of delight.

"Come on, come on! Let's go back inside!" she advised in a hyperactive manner.

Once back inside, Cloud and Tifa received a brand new welcoming cheer by all the members of AVALANCHE. Marlene and Denzel were dancing around the living room, while Barret could not stop laughing. "Oh, man, Spiky, my buddy! You really grew up now, didn't ya?" Barret slapped Cloud across the back with his non-prosthetic, non-metal hand. "Damn, I'll miss the naive, brick-headed fool you were before!"

Cloud sighed and chuckled softly. _Why do they have to make such a big deal out of this? Besides Red and Vincent, at least they seem a bit more… reserved than the others. And well, the kids. How ironic, it's like the kids have much more mature personalities than some of the adults here._ Cloud rolled his eyes towards Tifa, searching for a solution. Tifa just lightly shook her head.

"Let them have their fun, they'll most likely lose interest eventually," she murmured close to him. Cloud nodded and shut out his dissenting thoughts. The couple rejoined the party, this time with brand new attitudes.

"Another round of drinks, anyone?" Tifa inquired a while later.

"Hell yes!" Cid called out once again, "I've been pretty much sober the whole time you and Spikes were gone!"

Tifa grinned and shifted her attention to Yuffie. "Now Yuffie, you got a few more years to go… so, what would you like to drink?"

Yuffie giggled, "Yeah, I kind of realized that I drank the wrong drink a few hours ago. I don't know―I'll take anything, Tif, thanks!"

Tifa got up and set for the bar. Cloud stood up and followed to help. "Thanks, Cloud," said Tifa, taken by joy and appreciation.

"It's no problem," Cloud replied coolly.

_I can definitely get used to this,_ Tifa thought to herself, smiling. The party, or reunion, whichever anyone would call it, lasted well into the night, even after Denzel and Marlene were put to bed. Barret suggested that the kids stay overnight for another day, before Barret takes Marlene on a weekend trip to the neighboring city of Kalm. As time flew by through midnight, the old friends left one by one, delighted to have been able to spend their times together in relaxation and peace.

When the last of the guests finally departed, Cloud and Tifa unhurriedly made their way upstairs…


End file.
